White House Halts New North Korea Sanctions in Mad Dash to Save Summit

WASHINGTON—The U.S. decided to defer launching a major new sanctions push against North Korea, part of a flurry of weekend moves by both sides aimed at reviving a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The White House was prepared to announce the ramped-up sanctions regime Tuesday but decided Monday to indefinitely delay the measures while talks with North Korea about the summit proceed, a U.S. official said, citing progress in efforts to repair diplomatic relations between Washington and Pyongyang.